I Never
by pinkdigi
Summary: There are things friends are just never meant to know about each other. [taiora, mimato, takari, kenyako]
1. Part One

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon**

**Sorry to all my loyal "ONY" fans who are waiting for me to get off my sorry butt and publish "Ever After" – I'm having way more fun with this Harry Potter story of mine than I had originally expected. I think that story will be longer than I had anticipated, so don't hold your breath for me to return to Digimon with anything substantial. "EA" will not be up until 2006 for sure, sadly.**

**Here's a little something to hold you over until then.**

'**I Never ...' Part One  
**……………………………………………………………

It was well past midnight and the Digidestined were all gathered at Sora's house for their annual sleepover. They got together every year to celebrate the anniversary of Myotismon's defeat. This year was Sora's turn to host the event, which was the ninth of its kind. They drew straws to see whose house it would be held at. This year was Sora's turn.

The parents, understanding that their kids had a lifelong bond with one another, didn't object to a boy/girl sleepover when it came to matters concerning the Chosen children. It had become so important and exciting that the parents even got into the hype, and were often arguing with each other, calling 'dibs' on hosting next year's festivities. It was all very competitive, yet in good spirits. Mimi's parents even planned a yearly trip to Japan during the summer, just so Mimi could see her friends again and celebrate with them. Sora's mother, like several of the mothers (and fathers) before her, vacated the house to give everyone personal time and privacy.

It was nearing one in the morning now, but nobody noticed. They weren't feeling the least bit tired, and if they were, they were hiding it and forcing themselves awake. Digidestined sleepovers were once a year and something that you did _not _want to miss even a moment of.

They were all in one big circle, having rearranged the Takenouchi living room to accommodate everyone. Matt, Sora and Tai were all squished on one couch (specifically designed for two people) with Sora in the middle. She tried to protest but when Tai brought up the very good point that she was the smallest, she sat down, defeated.

Across from them, on another two-seater couch, were Mimi, Kari and T.K. Everyone had expected Davis to weasel his way into Mimi's seat, beside Kari, but Mimi could be quite scary when she wanted to be, and Davis conceded to sitting on the floor beside the couch, where he was still close to Kari, but was a lot ... _safer_.

Yolei was currently sitting in an armchair, Joe and Izzy sitting on the arms. Across from them, on the other side of the circle, Ken and Cody had pulled up chairs. They formed more of a rectangle than a circle, actually, but they still referred to it as 'The Circle'.

"Okay, what should we do now?" Kari asked.

"We could always play a nice round of truth or dare!" Yolei's eyes were sparkling with delight and she looked around at everyone, as if daring them to shoot down her suggestion. The other Digidestined, having had much experience with this game in the past, all gave each other significant looks and shouted "NO!"

"Since that's out," Joe said before Yolei had the chance to argue, "what does everyone propose we do?" Yolei opened her mouth again and Joe sighed. "What about anyone _other _than Yolei?"

"How about we each write down three games on a piece of paper, put it in a hat and someone can pull it out? Then, we can vote on one of the three games on the paper," Izzy said brightly. Everyone, once again, exchanged a significant look and a few shook their heads meekly. Izzy wasn't as easy to deny as Yolei was, since his feelings actually stood a chance of being hurt.

"That doesn't sound too ... _fun_, Izzy," T.K. explained with a laugh. Izzy grinned sheepishly and looked around, waiting for someone else to come up with an idea. He had grown up a lot since the time spent at "summer camp" and even started to take his nose out of his laptop for more than five minutes at a time. But, every now and then, parts of the old Izzy shined through, giving everyone a good laugh.

Mimi clapped her hands together and shrieked, causing everyone to look her way. "We should play 'I never ...' That game is always interesting!"

"That's a great idea, Meems," Sora squealed excitedly. "I'll get the drinks." After rising from her place on the couch and winking, she ran to the kitchen with a mischievous smile on her face. Yolei and Cody followed, saying that Sora would need help with all the glasses.

"We need drinks?" T.K. asked.

Mimi stared at him incredulously. "Haven't you ever played this before?"

"He _better not _have played this before," Matt commented, though it sounded much more like he was threatening T.K. than being a protective older brother.

"Oh, relax, would you? He's seventeen, he can take care of himself," Tai argued.

"What about Kari? She can take care of herself, too, then?" Matt challenged. Tai retreated a bit, clearly having dug himself quite a hole.

"No, she can't. Kari is the same age, but she's a girl," Tai explained. "It's different. She can't protect herself against horny teenage boys." Kari's very heavy sigh was heard over their bickering.

"She's also _in the room_," Kari reminded them. When neither of them turned to face her or even made the smallest acknowledgement that she was, in fact, there, she cleared her throat and then sunk back into the couch. "It's like I'm not even here."

"Well," T.K. whispered, leaning in extremely close to her, "I see you." She turned her head to the left, to look at him, their faces inches apart. She let out a small, appreciative laugh, which he didn't return. When a few seconds had passed and they were both still staring at each other, Kari hastily dropped her gaze and turned back to the rest of the group, who hadn't noticed the exchange.

Sora emerged with a few bottles of alcohol, Yolei and Cody coming up behind her with six glasses teetering precariously in each of their grips. They sat them down on the small coffee table, which was in the centre of the group, and took their seats.

"Okay, for those of you who don't have an experience with this game," Mimi explained as she stood up and opened the first bottle, "it's called 'I never ...' and it's a drinking game. It's a good way to find out really personal stuff about other people. We all get a glass and go around in a circle, each saying something wild that we've never done. And if someone has done it, they _have_ to take a drink."

"And you have to be completely _honest_," Yolei added, trying to make it as much like truth or dare as she possible could. "You can't lie and say you haven't done something if you have ... it defeats the purpose. And you can't say you have done something if you haven't, either, just for the alcohol," she winked.

Mimi filled all twelve glasses and passed them around to everyone. T.K. and Kari both shot worried glances to their brothers, knowing that they were underage and probably shouldn't be drinking. Matt shrugged indifferently, and Tai chewed his lip worriedly before nodding his consent.

The legal drinking age for Japan was usually twenty, but in some areas, Odaiba being one of them, it was lowered to nineteen. In other words, Kari, T.K., Davis, Ken and Cody were still underage. Yolei was a few weeks shy of her nineteenth birthday, but they all just pretended she was legal, so at least the majority of guests at the party weren't breaking the law.

"Okay," Tai began when they all settled in and quieted down, "I'll go first, then?"

"Wouldn't expect it any other way, _Leader Tai_," Matt snickered under his breath. Tai reached behind Sora, who was between them, and gave him a shove.

"I never ... got so drunk that I made a pass at a coat rack and then threw up in my guitar case." Everyone has a bemused expression on their face, glancing around to see Matt shoot Tai an angry glare and take a drink from his glass. T.K. burst out laughing.

"Why haven't I ever heard this story?" he demanded. Instead of answering him, Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat and suggested that the order go in a clockwise motion, making it Sora's turn next. After Sora it would be his turn, then Joe's, after that would be Yolei's, Izzy's, T.K.'s, then Kari's, Mimi's, Davis's, followed by Cody's and Ken's.

"Alright, so that means it's my turn. I never ..." she stopped, giggled, and continued, "kiss the mirror before going to bed every night." Everyone immediately snapped their heads over to Mimi's direction, just in time to see her flush and take a drink. Kari and Yolei, much to everyone's surprise, also drank to this. After the laughter and poor explanations as to why, exactly, they would kiss their mirrors, ceased, Sora nudged Matt to tell him it was his turn.

Throwing another glance at Tai, this one much smugger than the previous ones, Matt said: "I never ... almost missed graduation because I was having sex in the bathroom while everyone else was lining up."

It was dead silent throughout Sora's living room as everyone looked around the room, waiting for someone to drink.

"That's awfully specific, Matt. Maybe you should –"

Yolei stopped abruptly as Tai brought his glass to his lips, followed closely by Sora. Kari's eyebrows shot up and Joe's jaw dropped as Sora put her drink down and buried her head in her hands, her flushed face rivaling the colour of her hair. Matt threw a glimpse at Tai, hoping for a look of sheer mortification, but found a silly grin in its place. Sora, on the other hand, looked truly humiliated.

Sora growled in disgust and slapped Tai. "Why did you tell him?"

Tai looked around the room for help. "I didn't!" he cried.

"Right, I suppose he just decided to shoot that question out on the off chance that someone –"

"Sora," Mimi said slowly, "it was pretty obvious. You both went missing and when you reappeared, you were grinning like idiots and your hair was all messed up."

Izzy's brow furrowed. "I can see Tai doing that ... but Sora? Wow."

"It was a one-time thing," Sora reasoned, her face still dramatically coloured. "We went for a walk around Odaiba High, you know, one last time, and – and it just sort of _happened_."

"She wanted me. Still does," Tai laughed. Sora rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm.

"You aren't dating secretly, or something, are you?" Kari asked, sounding insulted that Sora had never disclosed that particular piece of information to her. Sora shook her head furiously from side to side. "Were you back then? Have you ever been?" Sora shook her head again and grabbed her glass, chugging the rest of it. She winced as it all slid down her throat and left her mouth burning.

"Hey, you aren't allowed to do that! You can't drink without a reason," Yolei protested.

Sora gave her a dangerous look as she refilled her glass. "I need to forget that this night ever happened. That's a good enough reason for me," she said.

"But –"

"My house, my liquor," she stated. "Is that one good enough for you?" Yolei threw up her hands, clearly defeated.

"Oh, mom would just _love_ this," Kari sighed. Tai rolled his eyes and gave her a dismissive wave. They all returned to the game moments later, occasionally throwing another suspicious glance at Tai and Sora, wondering if it was really a coincidence that they were seated beside each other on the couch.

Joe, who had an uncharacteristic glint in his eye, was next. "I never ... hacked into the school's computer system because I wasn't happy with my math mark."

Izzy cursed under his breath and took a long swig of his drink.

"The teacher hated me, it's not my fault. If I had had someone else, I would have done much better," he defended himself. "I _wouldn't _accept the grade that that horrible woman tried to stick me with!"

"Your mark was a _ninety-four_, for God's sake!" Joe exclaimed.

Ken stared, slack-jawed, at the boy who had always been his competition, academic-wise. Kari and Yolei stared in disbelief at Izzy, and Mimi looked rather insulted, recounting all the times he lectured her over e-mail about quitting cheerleading because she was neglecting her studies. Sora and Tai were laughing hysterically, Tai clutching his sides and Sora convulsing, both leaning into one another. Cody laughed, and much to everyone's surprise, insisted that Izzy help him out with _his _marks, too.

Tai and Sora, wiping the tears from their eyes, finally calmed down. Though neither could explain _why _they found the information so hilarious, they kept catching each other's eyes and sniggering quietly, under their breath.

"I never ... wet the bed," Yolei bragged. Joe, Ken, Cody, Izzy, Sora, Mimi, Tai, Davis, Kari, T.K. and Matt all took a long gulp of their respective drinks. "Wow. And to think, I feel like the outcast because I had dry sheets as a kid."

There was a ripple of laughter (though it sounded forced on some people's parts) and the confessions of 'I never ...' continued.

It went around the entire group, and more shocking discoveries were made.

Everyone learned that Mimi made out with a girl while in American ("I was at a party and someone spiked the punch, it's not like I did it intentionally!") and that Ken had slept with the most people out of everyone ("I'm Ken Ichijouji ... hell, Yolei hadn't even met me and she was ready to jump me," he laughed, causing Yolei to flush and call him a pig). Davis once stole a pair of his sister's underwear and wore them ("I was curious") and Cody cried during 'The Notebook' ("they were meant for each other!" he argued).

There had, by now, been quite a few sneaked drinks. People in the group were getting restless, especially the underage members, not being able to drink any of the alcohol sitting right in front of them.

Some of the information being revealed was far too juicy for the talking to just die down and the game to continue, so it had already been quite some time since the game actually started, and there were too many pauses in between turns.

Nobody, Yolei included, even bothered to say anything when people who hadn't had to drink very much began filling up their empty cups two, or even three times. By now, Sora had gotten up to hunt down more alcohol.

Most of the interesting topics had already been covered, it seemed. So, when the circle came to rest upon Kari for the second (or was it third?) time, she shrugged. "Um, I never ... shoplifted."

Mimi brought the glass to her lips and took a big drink. When she looked up, twenty-two eyes were resting on her.

"What? I had maxed out Daddy's credit card and I really wanted this new lipstick the store had. They had tons of them, I figured they wouldn't miss one tiny tube of it," she justified. Sora and Kari laughed while Yolei nodded, understandingly, but the boys looked uneasy. "Okay, now I go. Let's see ..."

Her eyes scanned the room, trying to pick out her victim. She suddenly got a great idea. Like she had said before, this game was a great way to learn personal things about others. There were no rules as to what you could and couldn't say. Everyone was using the game as an excuse to bring secrets – ones they had been entrusted to keep about one another – out into the open.

"Sorry, Kari, but it needs to be done. I'm just _dying _to know." Kari gulped, almost as if she knew what Mimi was about to ask her, and Davis gazed expectantly at Mimi, wondering what skeleton she'd drag from his love's closet. "I never ... kissed Kari."

Davis, looking utterly clueless, mumbled something that sounded like, "Of course you wouldn't have kissed Kari, what's the big deal?"

He finally caught on, but not before Mimi reached out and smacked him upside the head. Eight pairs of Digidestined eyes focused briefly on the exchange between Davis and Mimi before their gazes returned to Kari, who was busy giving T.K. the death glare.

"Gotta do it, it's a rule. I can't lie." With that, T.K. took a nice, big drink. Davis stood up from his spot on the floor, gasping in indignation.

"_Him?_ You kiss T.B. but you won't kiss me?" Davis shrieked.

"Way to go, bro," Matt grinned.

"You better have a good reason for why you were kissing my sister, Takaishi," Tai snarled.

"I knew it!" Mimi exclaimed.

"When?" Cody asked. Everybody shut up and turned back to T.K. and Kari, anticipating the answer.

"I don't know," Kari stammered. "It was about a month ago?" She turned to T.K., who confirmed her answer with a small nod.

"So, are you guys a couple?" Ken inquired. Kari laughed loudly, earning her a curious glance from the boy to her left. When she met his eyes, she stopped.

"About as much as Sora and Tai are," T.K. offered.

Tai gripped his glass tightly. "You two better not have done _that _..." he warned. T.K. recoiled, shaking his head violently, obviously very afraid of what Tai might do.

"They can do whatever they want, Tai. And for the record, intimidating T.K. is _my _job, so I suggest you back off," Matt advised.

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

"Trust me; you don't want to find out ..."

"Oh, I think I do."

"Both of you _stop it_," Sora groaned, deliberately moving forward to block their views of each other.

"He has no right to threaten T.K.," Matt complained.

"The hell I do, if he's going around screwing my baby sister!"

"Hey, don't talk about her like that," T.K. said darkly.

"I can stick up for myself, thank you," Kari snapped. "Tai: shut it."

"Yeah, T.A., quit acting like you're her hero or something."

"Shut up, Davis. I'd rather it be him than you," Tai barked.

"Why don't we all just calm down," Cody began, looking worriedly around the room. Most of the Digidestined were feeling the effects of the alcohol now, as they were well on their way to knocking off their fifth bottle, and were rather out of it.

"Ugh, why? Are you going to _cry_?" Yolei teased, leaning forward and putting her head in her hands.

Mimi was grinding her teeth and shooting angry looks at the raven-haired girl. "That's low, Yolei. You aren't perfect either, incase you forgot."

"And neither are you, Ms. I-Steal-Lipstick-And-Shove-My-Tongue-Down-Other-Girls'-Throats. So maybe you should just butt out," Yolei shot back, her eyes glowing.

"Leave her alone," Matt said, coming to Mimi's defense.

Yolei rolled her eyes. "I better do what you tell me, or else you'll get upset tonight and wake up to a wet sleeping bag, right?"

"That's not nice," Sora lectured. "Don't talk to him that way."

Tai scowled at her and poked her rip lightly. "Don't stick up for Matt. He's the one who ratted on us," he reminded her.

"I'll stick up for whoever I want. God, I'm not your girlfriend, so stop getting all jealous like you _own me _or something," Sora scolded, turning her head to his direction.

"As if you don't get jealous when the tables are turned? You gave me the silent treatment for two weeks because I was a half-hour late to your precious tennis match last month!"

"You _knew _how important that game was and you _promised _that you'd be there!"

"I know, but I was on a date and we lost track of time –"

Sora groaned. "That girl was a complete slut, Tai. There's no way I believe that you were at your house, all alone, watching TV. God only knows _what _you were really doing –"

"Hey, I resent that. How do you know that we were fooling around? I'm not Ken!" He cast a glance at Ken, who was sitting back and listening to all the drama unfolding.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," he stated coolly.

"Um," Cody leaned over to him, "I don't think it was a good thing."

"I don't care," Ken shrugged. "It's true. Girls like me."

"Well, sorry that we can't all be Digital Emperors and use that power to be smart and good at sports," Izzy snapped from the armchair on the other side.

"Now, do you tell the girls that, or do you just stay quiet and assume that if they need to know, they'll figure it out for themselves?" Joe added. "Because I'm sure they'd love to know why you were so talented at everything."

"How dare you throw that in his face? He made a mistake, he regrets being the Digimon Emperor, why can't we all just forget about it?" Davis asked, coming to his friend's defense.

"I never thought I'd say it, but I'm with Davis on this one," Yolei agreed.

"You would be," Cody muttered. "Forget the fact that he tried to kill us and our Digimon. He's easy on the eyes, and he likes to flirt with you, so of course you'd pick him over us, right?"

Mimi sighed and threw her head back, rubbing her temples. "I cannot believe I begged my parents to bring me down here for _this _party."

"You can always leave, you know. In fact, if you all want to walk out that door right now, I sure as hell won't stop you," Sora grumbled.

Everyone exchanged nasty looks with each other. They all silently dared everyone else to walk out the door, to leave the party first, so they could all follow suit. Huffing and puffing, breathless and hotheaded, they sat there in silence, ears ringing from all the shouting.

"Guys, we're totally forgetting what this night is all about! We're supposed to celebrate defeating Myotismon, we shouldn't be fighting," Joe offered weakly.

"Why do we make such a big deal over this, anyway?" Izzy asked. "It's not like Myotismon's defeat solved all of our problems. It only got worse after he was gone. Or did you all forget about the Dark Masters?"

"You know what ... you're right," Kari said, sitting up straight.

"Why _do _we have this thing? I don't see a reason," T.K. commented from beside her.

"Yeah, it's not like we're having a _good _time, or anything," Matt added.

"I'm having a pretty shitty time, myself," Cody murmured.

"I _hate _these parties," Sora cried out, laughing. "If it wasn't for the fact that it was at _my _house, I wouldn't have even shown up to this one!"

"Hear, hear," Tai said, raising his glass, which held less than a sip's worth of alcohol.

"To getting rid of Myotismon," Davis slurred, holding his glass up like Tai did.

Yolei lifted her glass in the air. "To the Digidestined, and their partners, the Digimon," she said hoarsely.

"To never having another one of these parties again," Ken exclaimed, and they all cheered in agreement. Then, they put their drinks to their lips and drained their glasses of all liquid inside.

"What now?" Sora asked hesitantly, afraid to hear the answer.

"I think that we clearly hold some resentment toward each other," said Izzy, "for various reasons."

"Do you think we should try to work it out?" Yolei asked. Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

……………………………………………………………

**Happy Halloween, everyone!**

**Part Two will be up shortly.**

**Review!**


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon**

**I will never understand people who review just to let me know that Taiora never happened. It's called fan_fiction_. When I release the "Official Guide to the Digimon Couples" book and I get it wrong, you have total permission to let me know. Until then, this is all I have to say on the matter.**

'**I Never …' Part Two**  
……………………………………………………………

"So," Tai said.

"So," Sora said, shutting her bedroom door and flopping down on her bed.

"You're pissed," Tai pointed out.

"I'm not pissed," she lied, her voice betraying her.

Tai laughed sharply. "You're _totally _pissed."

"I am so _not_ – okay. Fine, you win. I admit it. I'm pissed!" she exclaimed. She got up from her bed and began pacing the room. "I gave you the silent treatment for two weeks but maybe it wasn't enough, because I still don't forgive you."

"Do you realize that this is possibly the stupidest argument that two people have ever had in the history of … _ever_?" asked Tai. Sora scowled and looked at the floor. "I've shown up to every single tennis match you've ever had. Hell, I've even come early and helped you warm up to most of them! Can you say the same about my soccer games?"

Sora sighed. "No, I guess not."

"Can we stop this stupid fight, then?" he asked tentatively.

For a second, Tai thought Sora would agree. But then, she cried, "No, we _cannot _stop this fight! And it isn't stupid!"

"It's stupid to me," he said, dodging the stuffed bunny that Sora sent flying in his direction, "since you won't even explain why you're so mad. You just go off on this big rant and end up not capable of forming proper sentences."

"I'm mad," she explained slowly, avoiding Tai's eyes, "because … because you were with some other girl. And you weren't supposed to be with some other girl."

"Who, um, was I supposed to be with?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. But that was a lie. She knew who Tai was supposed to be with. She just didn't have the guts to say.

"Well …" said Tai.

"Well," said Sora.

"I don't really know what to say," he admitted.

"I don't, either."

"Okay," said Tai. "I don't really know if it matters, but I was telling the truth before. Nothing happened with that girl. I swear."

Sora shrugged. "It doesn't matter," she said, even though her insides were doing cartwheels. "You're twenty years old. You're allowed to do whatever you want."

"Yeah … but what do you think about that? You'd be annoyed if I went out and picked up some random girl off the street, wouldn't you?"

"Would you be mad if I got picked up by some guy?"

"_Yes_," Tai said instantly. 'But I … since when do you … I never thought that …" He didn't know what to say. "Does this have to do with what happened at graduation?"

"No," Sora said. "I mean … yes. I mean …" She sighed. "Maybe. We never really talked about what happened."

"Then let's talk," he said, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot beside him. Sora sat. "I'll start, but you'll need to help me out. I don't remember much about that day, except for a _lot _of drinking at the after party. But I remember that it was really, really hot in the auditorium, and those stupid black gowns that they made us wear weren't helping any. Matt kept complaining and running his hands through his hair, saying that it was going to go flat if we didn't start the ceremony soon. Izzy was a nervous wreck … kept saying that he just _knew _he was going to trip on stage. And then there was you. You had your hair and makeup done all nice and your cheeks were flushed – maybe from the heat, but probably from the excitement – and I remember thinking that you looked so beautiful. Even more than usual," he added, and Sora felt herself blush.

"You looked really good, too," she said. "Your hair was almost tamed that day, I remember."

"Yeah, Kari did something to it."

"It was nice." They were silent for a moment. "Keep talking," she urged.

"Right. After a while, things still hadn't started moving, so I said that I wanted to go for a walk and take a breather, because I was suffocating in that place. I asked if anyone wanted to come and you said you did. Izzy told us not to, said that we'd probably miss everything if we left, but we ignored him and went anyway."

"We walked around the entire school," Sora remembered. "It didn't seem real that we were graduating. I just kept thinking that it was the last time we'd all be together. It made me wonder if we'd all ever see each other again … if you and I would ever see each other again."

Tai laughed. "You actually had to wonder?"

"People change when they go away to college," said Sora. "That's what I'd heard, at least."

"We were going to the same one!"

"Well, I didn't know. Maybe the heat affected me," she reasoned. "And as we walked, I thought back over our time in the Digital World, and I just couldn't bear to think that it was the end of the line for us. I knew that we'd be together still, but I didn't know if we'd go off into separate groups and make separate friends. I didn't know if those friends would change us. I hated the thought that I might change … that _you_ might change. I didn't want to be one of those people who gets up one day and doesn't recognize the person staring back at them in the mirror."

"Sounds a bit extreme," Tai said.

"I know," she agreed. "But I had no idea then that college would be no different than high school, for the most part. I had no idea that we'd stick together like we did."

"You must've been crazy to ever think that I'd let you go," said Tai, and there was something about his tone of voice that made Sora's breath catch.

"Maybe," she said after a moment. "We walked to the cafeteria and down past the principal's office and we kept talking about the good old days. You remembered things that I'd forgotten all about and I remembered things that you'd forgotten. It was nice. I was feeling sentimental. I didn't want to go back to the auditorium, so we could graduate and leave all of our memories behind. I liked our memories."

"So you kissed me?"

"I kissed you?" she said. "_You _kissed _me_.'

Tai shrugged. "Yeah, probably. But you were the one who pulled me into the girls' bathroom."

"It was our last day at Odaiba High," Sora justified. "I didn't think it would be right for you to leave without seeing the inside of the girls' bathroom."

Tai grinned. "Oh, trust me; I'd seen it before then."

Sora laughed and shook her head. "_Never _tell me that story, please."

"It wasn't nearly as fun as the time I went in it with you."

"That makes me feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside," Sora said dryly.

"Relax," said Tai, putting an arm around her. "I was with _Matt _the first time."

Sora laughed again. "Tai," she said. "I had no idea that you –"

"Oh, shut it," he said.

"So," she said after a long silence. "I told you what was going through my mind. Tell me about what was going through yours. Tell me why you let me pull you into that bathroom."

Tai shifted uncomfortably.

Sora cleared her throat and looked at him expectantly.

"I … I let you pull me into that bathroom because …"

"Because … ?"

"Because I was in love with you."

……………………………………………………………

As soon as everyone got off the couch and began splitting up, Kari headed for the kitchen. Not because she was hungry or thirsty, but because she figured nobody would disturb her if she looked as though she was on a mission.

Unfortunately, T.K. had always been able to read her like a book. That, or he just really didn't care that she would rather be anywhere but at his side at the current moment.

She felt his fingers wrap around her wrist and she threw a glance at him over her shoulder.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

She wanted to say no. She really did. But she had never been good at resisting T.K. – especially when he made those stupid puppy dog eyes. Davis wanted to know why she'd kissed him? She should have T.K. give _him _the eyes. Then he'd understand. He'd probably do the same thing she'd done.

Ew. The image of Davis and T.K. kissing caused her to make a face. T.K. must've thought that it was directed at him, because he frowned and let go of her wrist.

Sighing, she said, "Let's talk out here." She led him out the door and into the hallway. Once they were alone out there, they both looked at each other expectantly.

"Well?" they both said at the same time.

"Well, what?" said Kari. "You wanted to talk. You should at least start."

"Oh," T.K. said, as if this hadn't occurred to him. "Well, uh, the thing is … I don't really know what I'm supposed to say."

Kari folded her arms. "The words _I'm sorry _would fit in here nicely."

T.K. raised his eyebrows. "What am I supposed to be sorry for?"

"You told everyone about our kiss!" she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "We agreed that it was a mistake, and that there was no point in telling anyone. And then the minute we all get together for this thing, you blurt it out to everyone!"

"They asked me," he said defensively. "I couldn't just lie."

"Yes, you could have," she said.

"Well, I wasn't going to." He sighed. "I'm sorry that kissing me makes you so ashamed that you'd be willing to lie to your friends."

"You're putting words in my mouth," she said. "But … God, T.K., we've discussed this a _million _times."

"Let's do it one more, then," he said. "Because I have this thing where – where I tell myself that nothing is ever going to happen between us, and – and it only makes me want you even more."

_Shit_. Not this again. Kari didn't want to talk about this with him. Or with anyone. Why didn't T.K. get that their friendship was way too important to risk?

"T.K. –"

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since that kiss," he admitted. "Actually, I wasn't able to stop thinking about you before it, either. But it's twice as bad now." He took a step toward her and she took a step back, but she collided with the wall, and when he took another step forward, she had nowhere to go. "You can't honestly look me in the eye and say that you feel nothing, Kar. I know you."

She said nothing.

"Look, I don't know what this is between us, but I know that I'm not the only one who feels it."

His lips were so close to hers now, and they looked so nice. If she closed her eyes and concentrated really hard, she would be able to recall how it felt to have them pressed up against hers.

"Tell me you want this," he said, and he was looking at her in a way that made it impossible for her not to want it.

"I –"

"Kari? Are you out here?"

She and T.K. sprang apart, and she cursed in her mind. So close. But _wait _– it was a good thing that they were interrupted. She didn't want to kiss T.K.! He was her best friend! No, it was just her hormones talking. Yes, that was it. He was attractive and nice and funny and standing in front of her, saying all these nice things that all but turned her into a puddle of goo. It was only natural that her first instinct was to press herself flush against him and attack his mouth with hers. Right?

Her fingers were itching to thread themselves in his hair.

_Stop it!_

She turned and saw Davis standing in the hallway. "Oh. You're out here with T.L."

"Yeah," Kari said. A part of her was begging him to stay, but a larger part of her was SCREAMING for him to get the hell back inside the apartment so she could finish her conversation with T.K.

They didn't even have to kiss. Well … not a lot.

Oh, no. She was in _so _deep now. Why did this have to happen to her?

"Davis, I –"

"How could you kiss him and not me?" Davis blurted.

The answer, of course, was that T.K. was sweet and kind and gentlemanly, while Davis was annoying and rude. She hated the way he objectified her and she _really _hated the way he couldn't get T.K.'s name right. But how could she say that without offending him?

"You're my friend," she said finally. "But I don't feel that way for you. Can't you understand that?"

"I guess," he muttered after a long moment. "But do you feel that way for _him_?"

Kari looked at T.K., who raised his eyebrows in question.

"I – I don't really know," she admitted. Well, maybe she did know. But it wasn't the answer she was looking for, so she denied it.

"Then why would you kiss him?"

"It's complicated," Kari said weakly. "I ... I don't know why."

Again, she really _did _know why.

"When you _do _know," he said, standing up a little taller, "I don't want to hear it. I'm tired of jumping through hoops for you, Kari."

He walked inside, slamming the door, and Kari sighed. "That went well," she said dryly.

"You had to say it," T.K. said. "I mean, he was never going to let up unless you made it clear that you had no interest in him."

Kari nodded, but didn't feel any better about it. She hated knowing that she had hurt someone's feelings, even if those feelings belonged to Davis.

"We still have stuff to talk about," T.K. said gently.

"What would that be?" Kari asked hesitantly. She knew, of course. But she wasn't sure if she had the energy to get into everything tonight. And she _knew _she didn't have the mind power to push him away if he got that close to her again.

"I really like you," he said. "And not just in the 'you're-my-best-friend' sort of way. I'm pretty sure you feel the same way. Hell, you _kissed _me. I might not be the smartest, but I think I know that when a girl kisses a guy, she has some romantic interest in him. So why do we keep dancing around each other?"

She sighed. "You're one of the most important things in my life," she said seriously. "If we tried the whole dating thing, and it didn't work out … I couldn't handle that. I couldn't handle losing you."

"What makes you think you'd lose me?" he asked. "I'd like to think our friendship can withstand a lot more than something stupid like a break up."

"But … this happens all the time," she said. "People date, and when they break up, they promise to be friends, but it's so awkward that they can barely hang out in the same room together. We have the same group of friends. We go to the same school. You – you're a _huge _part of my life. And I couldn't stand not having you at my side one day, just because we thought we should give this a shot."

"You could never lose me," he said.

Kari shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "We try this for two weeks. And if it either of us doesn't think it feels right, then that will be that. We'll go right back to the way we are now. I'll never bother you again, and you'll never have to wonder if you should've taken me up on my offer. No expectations and no hard feelings. Okay?"

"You promise that it won't come between us?" she asked skeptically.

"Cross my heart," he said.

Kari knew he was lying, but maybe he was right. Maybe everything would be okay. Besides, it wasn't set in stone that they'd break up. Maybe they would stay together for years. Why wouldn't they? They got along great. And she had sure fallen hard for him.

"Okay," she said. She ignored the voice in her head that was screaming at her. "Now, I believe we were in the middle of something when Davis interrupted us."

He grinned and leaned forward to kiss her.

……………………………………………………………

"Well, this is shaping up to be quite a night," Mimi sighed, plunking herself down on the couch beside Matt as the rest of their friends went their separate ways.

"Hey, it's not so bad," he said.

Mimi shrugged. "I guess I'm not going to get to tell everyone the big news tonight, huh?"

"Do you need to tell them?" he asked. "I mean, won't they notice after a while?"

"Well, yeah," she said. "But I'd like to tell them personally that I'm moving back to Japan." She paused for a moment. "I guess it would be sort of funny to just invite everyone over once I'm all moved in and say, _Welcome to my new house_."

Matt chuckled and poured her another drink.

"When should we tell them our other secret?" she asked.

Matt narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "We have another secret?" he teased. Mimi rolled her eyes and then kissed him softly. "Mm … right, that secret."

"Yeah," Mimi said with a smile. "That one."

"I don't know. Not tonight," he said. "Everyone will make such a big deal … and my head can't take anymore yelling right now, even if it's happy yelling."

Mimi nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "Everyone else's love lives are so screwed up. Maybe it's best if we just … lay low for a while."

"Sneaky," he said. "I like it."

"I knew you would."

……………………………………………………………

"Uh … I'm sorry. You know. About, um, before."

"I am, too."

"So am I … I guess we all just got carried away."

"Yeah, that's what it was …"

Izzy, Cody, Joe and Ken were grateful for the loud _bang _of a door being slammed. Davis came into the kitchen looking dejected and angry.

"If I walk in on one more kissing couple tonight, I'm going to scream," he announced.

Joe took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt. "I take it things didn't go well with T.K. and Kari?"

"No," Davis said grumpily, folding his arms across himself. "I went out there and they looked like they were about to kiss! So I told them both off and came back in here."

"You told off _Kari_?" Cody said doubtfully.

Davis shrugged and went into the fridge, looking for food.

"Well," Ken said. "I guess it's just us five left. Oh, and Matt and Mimi."

"Nope," Davis said through a mouthful of food. "They're in the living room making out on the couch."

"_What_?"

"No way," said Izzy.

Davis shrugged again. "I saw it," he said. "Go look for yourself."

Nobody moved. They all looked at each other, waiting for someone to get up. "Fine," Ken sighed. "I'll go. I need to use the washroom, anyway." He stood up and left.

"I wonder what Tai and Sora are doing," Izzy said after a moment.

"I'm sure I could think of a few things," Davis said, sitting down in Ken's seat.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could," Cody said.

As they waited for Ken to return, they ate the food that Davis had raided from Sora's fridge. After several minutes, Davis sighed. "Is he coming back, or what?"

"Maybe he's still in the washroom," Joe said with a small smile.

"That's it, I'm going to find him," Davis declared.

The three remaining boys watched as he left the kitchen and went down the hall. A second later, they heard his frustrated scream.

……………………………………………………………

"Oof!"

"Sorry!" Ken said, offering out his hand.

"Oh," Yolei said, taking his hand and getting up off the floor. "No problem. Just wasn't expecting someone to be standing outside the door."

"Right," Ken said. "I couldn't remember which door was for the washroom."

"Well, it's this one," she said. They looked at each other for a long moment. "I'll, um, go."

She moved out of the way and went to leave, but he called her name. "Yolei?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks. For before," he said. "We all said some things we didn't mean but you defended me and … I just wanted to say thank you."

She blushed. "It was nothing," she said. "I just – what they said to you was really mean."

He laughed. "You weren't exactly the nicest tonight, either."

"I know," she said, putting her hand on her hip. "But I'm always like that."

"No, you're not."

"How do you figure?"

"You think you're so tough. Maybe you are. Everyone else sure thinks you are," he said. "But I don't see it. I think you're just afraid that people won't like you for who you actually are."

"Then you're delusional," she said, swallowing thickly.

"Maybe. But I think I'm right. Am I?"

"Does it matter?"

"A little."

"And why is that?"

"Because," he said weakly, looking at his feet. Then, reminding himself that he was _Ken Ichijouji_, he said, "Because I sort of have feelings for you." He cleared his throat and forced himself to look up at her.

Her face held a rather satisfied smirk. "Only _sort of_?" she asked teasingly.

"I – fine, you win. God, you're right. You _are _mean."

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Shut it," she told him. "You aren't very romantic, you know."

"And you are? Ha!"

She narrowed her eyes. "You're an idiot."

"I'm not going to kiss you if you keep calling me names," he teased.

She raised her eyebrows. "You're going to kiss me?" she asked.

"I was thinking about it," he said.

"Oh. Well … hurry up and kiss me already."

She was bossy even when it came to this. He rolled his eyes at her words but kissed her anyway.

They completely missed the fact that Davis had just rounded the corner and saw the entire thing. And they chose to ignore the sound of his dramatics as he watched yet another couple kiss.

……………………………………………………………

"What're you thinking?" Sora asked, pulling on her clothes.

"That you're amazing."

She smirked and kissed him. "Obviously," she said. "But what else?"

Tai grinned and fell back against her bed in exhaustion. "I'm thinking that you sure know how to throw a party."

……………………………………………………………

**Well, so ends another story. I just want you all to know that I stillhaven't forgotten about "Ever After". It's still happening, but as I've said before, not for quite a while. But every now and then, I get the inkling to write some EA. It's coming along rather nicely. **

**Oh, and if any of you readers out there are interested in Harry Potter, check out my profile. I've got a ton of one-shots up that I write between chapters for my HP fic "Just Going With It". (Oh, and check out JGWI if you haven't!)**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review.**


End file.
